Anonymous digital identification

ABSTRACT

Methods and systems are provided that allow for matched content to be provided between users of electronic devices, based on factors such as geographic proximity and common interests. Embodiments of the present invention allow commercial entities to target advertisements and other content to potential customers likely to be receptive to such information based on their interests and behaviors. Other embodiments facilitate communication between non-commercial users by identifying interests they may share or objectives they may have that complement one another.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 15/019,586filed on Feb. 9, 2016, which is a continuation of application Ser. No.14/553,608, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,258,133, filed on Nov. 25, 2014, whichis a continuation of application Ser. No. 12/687,721, now U.S. Pat. No.8,898,250, filed on Jan. 14, 2010, which claims priority to U.S.Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/144,614 filed on Jan. 14, 2009. Eachof the above stated applications is hereby incorporated herein byreference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to anonymous digitalidentification. More particularly, the present invention relates tosystems and methods for providing personalized digital content andconsumer information using anonymous digital identification.

Parties communicate in a variety of ways: face-to-face, over thetelephone, and by electronic mail, just to name a few. Despite the manyways in which people and businesses are able to communicate, however,innumerable opportunities for valuable communication are missed everyday. For example, an unemployed mechanical engineer in search of a jobmay ride the same bus every morning as a human resources director for alocal engineering firm who is searching for qualified applicants. Whiletheir physical paths may cross, they may never communicate with oneanother simply because they are unaware of their shared personalinterests. If each somehow knew what the other was interested in orlooking for, they would likely begin communicating and potentially forma mutually beneficial relationship.

Missed connections and overlooked opportunities for communication alsooccur between businesses and consumers. Research service estimates from2007 indicate that advertising and marketing expenditures average wellover 400 billion each year in the United States alone. Much of thesevaluable advertising dollars are allocated to blanketed and minimallytargeted advertising, but these techniques are still tremendouslyinefficient in terms of the number of sales versus the number of targetsand advertisements. This inefficiency stems from businesses' inabilityto closely match advertising content with the interests and wants ofprospective consumers. Although minimally targeted advertising may, inmany cases, be more effective than simply blanketing the general public,the rate of return on targeted advertising is still often quite low.However, if a business could target its advertisements to thosepotential customers who (1) have already expressed an interest in theitem being advertised, and (2) are located physically near thestorefront carrying the desired item, then such advertisement is likelyto be significantly more effective than other techniques. Furthermore,embodiments of the present invention may allow a business to understandits customer more thoroughly by providing in-depth, real-timeinformation related to the buying habits, interests, activities,demographics, and most importantly, the desired purchases of existingand potential customers.

Prior art systems have attempted to use location detection technologiesto promote social networking but present significant shortcomings. Forexample, the invention described in U.S. Pat. App. Pub. No.2005/0250552, filed by Eagle et al. (Eagle), utilizes Bluetoothtechnology to facilitate communication between Bluetooth-enabled devicesin detectable range of one another, particularly for purposes ofdeveloping interpersonal relationships. The invention described in U.S.Pat. No. 7,071,842, issued to Brady, Jr. (Brady), utilizes GlobalPositioning System (GPS) coordinates to identify people, places, andthings based on a user's stated preferences. However, neither Eagle norBrady discloses a multi-modal system for anonymous digitalidentification that facilitates widespread adoption and cross-platformusage. Moreover, neither Eagle nor Brady discloses the customization ofadvertising content for purposes of improving customer experience andincreasing advertisement effectiveness. Neither discloses a system thatallows consumers to communicate their purchasing desires to merchantsand facilitates commercial transactions between buyers and sellers.Additionally, neither utilizes a multi-modal anonymous identificationsystem for purposes of gathering, analyzing, and selling to businesses awide range of consumer data.

Other prior art systems provide anonymous digital identification ordistributed electronic commerce, but these systems also presentshortcomings. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,490,567, issued to Gregory(Gregory), is directed to distributed electronic commerce over anetwork, in which merchant content is separated from transactionfunctionality. The invention described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,879,960,issued to Nascenzi et al. (Nascenzi), utilizes anonymous identificationtags in the context of electronic commerce. However, neither Gregory norNascenzi discloses, for example, the use of location detectiontechnologies in order to facilitate targeted commercial transactionsbetween commercial entities and customers. Moreover, neither discloses amulti-modal anonymous identification system, particularly one capable ofcompiling and processing consumer data for commercial entities.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of an anonymous digitalidentification system according to an embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram of an anonymous digitalidentification system according to an embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 3 illustrates a block diagram of an information management moduleaccording to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 illustrates a block diagram of a user device according to anembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 illustrates a flow chart of a content matching and distributionprocess according to an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of an anonymous digitalidentification system 100 according to an embodiment of the presentinvention. The anonymous digital identification system 100 includes acommunication network 150, an information management module 300, andfirst and second user devices 400.

The communication network 150 is in bidirectional communication with thefirst user device 400, the information management module 300, and thesecond user device 400. In certain embodiments, one or more of the firstuser device 400, the information management module 300, and the seconduser device 400 may be configured for direct communication with oneanother. For example, in an embodiment, the first user device 400 maydirectly communicate with the information management module 300, ratherthan communicating through the communication network 150.

In operation, the system 100 allows two or more entities to interactwith one another using anonymous digital identification. An entity mayinclude, for example, a person, a group of people, an electronic device,a business, or any other content provider. In an embodiment, an entitymay communicate its interests, desires, and/or other content to theinformation management module 300 via the communication network 150. Forexample, a first user device 400 may communicate a first user'sinterests to the information management module 300 via the communicationnetwork 150. Similarly, a second user device 400 may likewisecommunicate a second user's interests to the information managementmodule 300 via the communication network 150. The information managementmodule 300 and/or the first and second user devices 400 may also beadapted to identify proximate user devices 400. In an embodiment, thefirst user device 400 may detect the presence of the second user device400 once they are geographically proximate to one another by using oneor more wireless technologies, such as Bluetooth. The bounds ofgeographic proximity may be limited by the information management module300, the user devices 400, and/or the capabilities of the locationdetection technologies being employed. Embodiments of the user device400 utilizing Bluetooth may use standard and non-standard inquiry modesof operation and inquiry levels employing general, limited, and/ordedicated inquiry access codes in order to securely identify andcommunicate with other Bluetooth-enabled devices. In certainembodiments, the information management module 300 detects therespective locations of the first user device 400 and the second userdevice 400 as being geographically proximate to one another, forexample, using GPS coordinates associated with each user device 400supplied via the communication network 150. Once a detection ofproximate user devices 400 has been made, the information managementmodule 300 determines whether the account records associated with eachof the first user device 400 and the second user device 400 include anymatching or complementary interests. If a matching interest isidentified, then matched content is provided to one or both of the firstuser device 400 and the second user device 400.

For example, the system 100 may be used to connect two persons who arelocated near one another and share a common interest. In this exampleembodiment, the first user device 400 may be a first person's cellularphone, which has been associated with an account record that includesthe first person's interest in playing basketball. Similarly, the seconduser device 400 may be a second person's notebook computer, which hasbeen associated with an account record that includes the second person'sinterest in playing basketball. Each of these interests is communicatedto the information management module 300 via the communication network150. Using the communication network 150, the information managementmodule 300 may detect the respective locations of the cellular phone andthe notebook computer as being geographically proximate to one anotherwhen, for example, the first and second users are riding on the samebus. Once this detection has been made, the information managementmodule 300 determines that the first user device 400 and the second userdevice 400 have been associated with the common interest of playingbasketball. As a result, the information management module 300 providesthe first user device 400 and the second user device 400 with relevantmatched content, such as the image of a basketball that is displayed onthe notebook computer and cellular phone screens. The display of thisimage indicates to the first and second users that the system 100 hasidentified a nearby entity that shares an interest in playingbasketball. In an embodiment, the information management module 300 maybe configured to provide additional content to the first user device400, for example, if the first person clicks on the image of thebasketball displayed on the cellular phone. Such additional content mayinclude an image of the second person, who is associated with the seconduser device 400, or may include generally relevant content such ascurrent news about playing basketball, advertisements forbasketball-related products or services, or the ability to purchasemerchandise related to playing basketball. Based on the content providedby the information management module 300, the first person may wish toapproach the second person, both of whom are on the same bus, in orderto discuss their common interest in playing basketball.

Because communication between the first user device 400 and the seconduser device 400 takes place through the intermediate informationmanagement module 300, such communication may be entirely anonymous. Inalternative embodiments, the operator of the first user device 400 andthe operator of the second user device 400 may choose to communicatedirectly without the intervention of the information management module300, for example, via a Bluetooth connection. Additionally, users may beprompted by the information management module 300 and/or their userdevices 400 prior to the transmission of user information as to whetherand what information may be sent. Anonymous digital identification ismade possible by the system 100 because electronic communicationdevices, such as cellular phones, GPS receivers, digital cameras,Bluetooth receivers, video game consoles, and computers, are typicallyassociated with one or more unique identifiers. For example, a cellularphone handset is associated with a unique International Mobile EquipmentIdentity (IMEI) number. Similarly, a Universal Unique Identifier, orUUID, is a 128-bit number that may be used to identify, for example, apiece of hardware, a software object, or an entity on the Internet.Although it is theoretically possible for two objects to be assigned thesame UUID, such an occurrence is so mathematically improbable that UUIDsare generally regarded as unique. In certain embodiments, a uniqueidentifier may be associated with the environment surrounding the userdevice 400 and/or the operator of the user device 400. For example, theidentifier may be the operator's voice, face, or fingerprint.

In varying embodiments, the communication network 150 may utilize avariety of communication technologies. For example, the communicationnetwork 150 may utilize wireless technologies such as Global System forMobile communications (GSM), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), WiFi,GPS, Bluetooth, wireless Universal Serial Bus (USB), and/or infrared.Additionally, proprietary wireless standards utilizing audible, optical,and/or radio technologies may be used. In still other embodiments,communication may occur via direct electrical connection.

In a preferred embodiment, the system 100 is multi-modal, allowingdetection of and communication between user devices 400 of varyingtypes. For example, both a personal computer utilizing WiFi technologyand a laptop utilizing wireless USB technology may each be detected byand communicate with the information management module 300. Similarly, amobile phone without Internet capabilities may nonetheless interact witha nearby mobile phone via audio signals that are undetectable by thehuman ear. Such audio signals may be transmitted by each phone's speakerand received by each phone's microphone, for example. In suchembodiments, the microphone may be accessed locally by the phone handsetor remotely by the information management module 300. Audio signalsstemming from another user device 400 may be detected by establishing anaverage level of ambient noise in the location of the user device 400based on a periodic reading by a microphone associated with the userdevice 400 and comparing the current audio levels with this averagelevel.

In varying embodiments, the location detection described above withregard to FIG. 1 may be accomplished in numerous ways. For example, thelocation of proximate user devices 400 may be determined usingtechniques such as GPS tracking, multilateration, triangulation, and/ormobile positioning. Proximity between devices may also be determinedbased on, for example, Bluetooth and/or audio signal strengthcomparisons and response times. In an embodiment, the system 100 ismulti-modal in its ability to detect device locations and proximitybetween two or more devices.

In varying embodiments, the system 100 may be used in a variety of waysto connect people or groups of people with shared interests orobjectives. The system 100 may assist in forming new platonic, romantic,and professional relationships based on both geographic proximity andcommon interests or characteristics. To facilitate meaningfulconnections, the system 100 may be configured to allow entities tocustomize the information they share with others. For example, a womanhaving a first user device 400 who is interested in forming a jazz bandand is also seeking a job as a software developer may customize her userdevice 400 and its associated account record accordingly. As a result,the information management module 300 may communicate her professionalresume to a technical recruiter in close proximity who has configuredhis second user device 400 and its associated account record with hisinterest in recruiting job candidates with software developmentexperience. Similarly, the information management module 300 maycommunicate the first user's interest in forming a jazz band to a seconduser in close proximity who has configured his second user device 400with his current status as a jazz band member. However, the technicalrecruiter would not necessarily receive information about the firstuser's jazz interests, just as the current jazz band member would notnecessarily receive the first user's professional resume. Therefore, thesystem 100 is capable of identifying specific, meaningful points ofconnection between users, and users are able to customize the amount andtype of information that is communicated to other types of users.

In certain embodiments, the system 100 may also facilitate commercialtransactions between entities. For example, an individual may currentlyown a bicycle that he or she would like to sell for at least 50. Thisperson could configure her first user device 400 and its associatedaccount with her interest in selling the bicycle, her minimum price, andthe specifications and age of the bicycle. A second person may beseeking a bicycle of a certain type and is willing to pay $50 for thebicycle. This second person may configure his second user device 400 andits associated account with these interests. In varying embodiments,each person's information may be stored locally on the device itselfand/or remotely with the information management module 300. When thefirst user device 400 and the second user device 400 becomegeographically proximate to one another, the information managementmodule 300 may communicate with each device in order to convey theirshared interest and the opportunity for a mutually beneficialtransaction. In an embodiment, the system 100 may be configured to allowone or both users to communicate anonymously prior to completing thetransaction. For example, the potential buyer may have a question aboutthe product being offered, and the information management module 300 mayfacilitate anonymous communication with the potential seller via email,instant messaging, Short Message Service (SMS) text messaging,Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) communication, and/or othercommunication protocols. Additionally, the system 100 may be adapted toallow the entire transaction to take place with anonymity using, forexample, a PayPal account associated with each user or financialinformation stored in the system 100. As described below with regard toFIG. 2, additional features may be beneficial when one or both of theparties to a potential transaction is a business.

FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram of the anonymous digitalidentification system 100 of FIG. 1 according to an embodiment of thepresent invention. The anonymous digital identification system 100includes the communication network 150 and the information managementmodule 300 of FIG. 1. The system 100 further includes a commercial userdevice 400, an inventory management unit 210, an auction service 310,and a non-commercial user device 400.

The communication network 150 is in bidirectional communication with thecommercial user device 400, the information management module 300, andthe non-commercial user device 400. The commercial user device 400 isalso in bidirectional communication with the inventory management unit210, and the information management module 300 is in bidirectionalcommunication with the auction service 310.

As described above with regard to FIG. 1, the system 100 may be used tofacilitate commercial transactions between entities. In operation, thesystem 100 may be configured to allow commercial entities to competewith one another through the auction service 310. Two or more commercialentities may compete, for example, for the right to be associated with acertain interest, product, service, location, and/or characteristic.Additionally, the inventory management unit 210 may allow commercialentities to make real-time decisions and provide accurate notificationsbased on its inventory or availability at a particular time.

An example application of the system 100 of FIG. 2 may involve theadvertising and sale of running shoes to a customer. First, using theauction service 310, two or more sporting goods stores compete for theright to be associated with a particular pair of running shoes in aparticular geographic area, such as a shopping mall. The auction service310 may be adapted to include a database of product and serviceinformation, locations, advertisements, and other content. If multiplesporting goods stores in the shopping mall all sell a particular pair ofrunning shoes for the same price, then each may attempt to outbid oneanother for the right to provide content to a potential customer whoenters the shopping mall and is seeking to purchase that particular typeof footwear. The commercial entity who makes the highest financial offerfor the association to the auction service 310 then pays the finalauction price to the operator of the information management module 300.Additionally, the winner of the auction uses the commercial user device400 to upload content such as an advertisement to the informationmanagement module 300. Once the content is stored by the informationmanagement module 300, the content is provided to the non-commercialuser device 400 once the information management module 300 determinesthat the non-commercial user device 400 has reached a particularlocation specified by the winning commercial entity. In varyingembodiments, the non-commercial user device 400 may be configured toreceive only certain types of content from commercial entities. Inalternative embodiments, a commercial entity may also purchase generaladvertising space from the operator of the information management module300, either by auction via the auction service 310 or under some otheragreement. Such advertisements or other content may then be communicatedto geographically proximate non-commercial user devices 400.

Returning to the example above, once the potential purchaser seeking tobuy running shoes is geographically proximate to, for example, acommercial user device 400 located within a sporting goods store, his orher non-commercial user device 400 receives content from the highestbidder among commercial entities and/or the commercial entity having theproduct or service that most closely matches various criteria. Thesecriteria may include the potential purchaser's preferences with regardto model, size, price, color, and/or other features of the desiredrunning shoes.

In an embodiment, once the potential purchaser is notified that an itemor service matching his or her criteria is available nearby, thetransaction may be completed by the non-commercial user device 400communicating with the commercial user device 400 via the communicationnetwork 150 and the information management module 300. For example, whena prospective running shoe purchaser approaches a sporting goods storeand the purchaser's non-commercial user device 400 receives content froma commercial user device 400 associated with the store, the purchasermay be able to purchase the pair of shoes immediately using thenon-commercial user device 400. In certain embodiments, the prospectivepurchaser may obtain additional information beyond just the contentreceived by the non-commercial user device 400. This additional contentmay originate from the original commercial entity or may come fromanother source.

In order to provide accurate information as to product or serviceavailability, the commercial user device 400 communicates with theinventory management unit 210. The inventory management unit 210 may beconfigured to provide real-time information as to the availability ofproducts and/or services. The inventory management unit 210 is accessedwhen availability information is to be communicated to a geographicallyproximate non-commercial user device 400. The inventory management unit210 may be updated when a product is sold in order to reflect thecommercial entity's real-time inventory. Likewise, if availability ismore relevant than product inventory for a commercial entity, such aswould be the case for a dentist's office, then the inventory managementunit 210 may be updated when availability changes in some way, such aswhen a patient books an appointment with a dentist.

In certain embodiments, if no product or service matching the potentialpurchaser's criteria is currently available, the system 100 may beadapted to facilitate a transaction in a variety of ways. For example,the information management module 300 may provide content to thenon-commercial user device 400 regarding the closest match that could beidentified within close proximity. Alternatively, the informationmanagement module 300 may provide content to the non-commercial userdevice 400 regarding matching products or services that are currentlyavailable but are not geographically proximate in relation to thenon-commercial user device 400. This identification may take placeautomatically once no local match is found, or it may take place only inresponse to a request communicated by the non-commercial user device 400to the information management module 300. In an embodiment, thepotential purchaser's criteria, such as price and quantity, that havebeen communicated from the non-commercial user device 400 to theinformation management module 300 may be communicated to non-localentities as well. For example, the purchase criteria may be posted to awebsite or communicated directly to one or more devices associated withentities that have requested and/or paid for such information.

In addition to providing a streamlined way to purchase goods andservices, the system 100 may also be adapted to facilitate the efficienttransfer of used items. Prior art systems and techniques offer a numberof options for reselling used items, but all of these options presentinefficiencies and missed opportunities. For example, if a personpurchases a video game console from a retail store and, after severalmonths, wishes to resell it, she would have several options using onlyprior art systems and techniques. She could take photos of the item,write a detailed description of it, and submit this information to anonline marketplace such as eBay, also creating an account with thewebsite if she does not already have one. If the item eventually sells,she is responsible for shipping the item as well. Alternatively, shecould avoid having to take photos and write a detailed description ofthe item by finding a similar post on a website such as Amazon.com.However, shipping is still likely to be required. Yet anotheralternative that could help avoid shipping issues would be to focus on amore local level, such as by hosting a garage sale, placing a classifiedad in the local newspaper, or posting an ad with an online marketplacethat includes localized classified ads, such as Craigslist.org. Thefirst two of these options typically require a significant investment oftime and/or money and still are not sufficiently targeted at potentialpurchasers. Online classified ad spaces allow for searching and a morelocalized approach but still present significant limitations. Althoughthese websites may allow parties to avoid shipping and receiving costsand inconveniences, such services may only be available or widely usedin highly populated areas. Moreover, even targeted advertising withinone's own city can result in many missed opportunities.

In contrast, certain embodiments of the present invention facilitateoptimal efficiency in the transfer of used items, while requiringminimal effort by the buyer and seller. A user of the system 100 maycommunicate data regarding a prior-purchased item to the informationmanagement module 300, and this data may then be communicated to anotheruser of the system 100. The matching and location detection capabilitiesof the system 100 maximize opportunity and minimize required effort. Forexample, a first person may purchase a video game from a retailer usingher non-commercial user device 400 after she had come in close proximitywith a commercial user device 400. If she made the purchase using hernon-commercial user device 400 or otherwise provided information aboutthe purchase to the information management module 300 by, for example,providing access to the records of her credit card transactions, then arecord of the video game purchase may be maintained by the informationmanagement module 300. In an embodiment, this record may include imagesof the purchased item, the date it was purchased, a detailed descriptionof the item, the purchase price, the physical characteristics of theitem, or other relevant content. Therefore, when the user wishes toresell, donate, or otherwise transfer the item to another, she maysimply access the purchase record using the non-commercial user device400 or another electronic device in communication with the informationmanagement module 300 and indicate that she no longer wishes to keep theitem. Additionally, she may provide updated information as well, such asa current photo of the item, which may be taken by the user device 400if it has picture-taking capabilities. In effect, getting rid of thevideo game becomes one of her interests, and the system 100 thereforeseeks to identify geographically proximate users who share acomplementary interest. In this case, when a second user device 400 thathas communicated an interest in purchasing the same video game comesinto geographic proximity with the seller's first user device 400, theinformation management module 300 may notify each device as to thepresence and interests of the other. In other embodiments, some or alldetection of geographically proximate user devices 400 may be performedby each user device 400. Using the system 100, therefore, entities maypassively search for potential buyers, sellers, donors, andbeneficiaries wherever they go. Applying the video game example, thecurrent owner may use the system 100 to discover that a colleague whomshe sees every day would like to purchase the precise item she is tryingto sell. She need not advertise her desire to sell the video game to allcolleagues in her workplace. The system 100 selectively targets onlythose in close proximity who have already expressed a complementary orshared interest by communicating with the information management module300. In effect, she exerted almost no effort in advertising heravailable video game to only those entities that were both nearby andalready interested in purchasing the item. Thus, the system 100 may beadapted to passively produce advertisements that may be narrowlytargeted by interest level and location, maximizing transactionefficiency and capitalizing on everyday opportunities that may otherwisebe missed. Additionally, in certain embodiments, the operator of theuser device 400 may modify the proximity bounds within which searchesare performed.

In varying embodiments, the auction facilitated by the auction service310 may be structured in a variety of ways. For example, the auctioncould occur daily, weekly, or in accordance with some other schedule. Inone embodiment, the auction service 310 may be configured to preventcommercial entities from seeing each other's bids as the auction istaking place. Alternatively, the auction service 310 may providecommercial entities with the ability to view each other's bids. Theauction may also be configured to include a reserve (minimum) pricespecified by the operator of the information management module 300. Inthis embodiment, if the reserve price is not met by any commercialentity's financial offer, the right to be associated with a particularproduct, service, interest, search term, or other associable element isnot sold. In a preferred embodiment, the commercial entity that placedthe highest financial offer for a given associable element may providecertain content to the information management module 300 that will bethe first content provided to user devices 400 in the specifiedgeographic area when the information management module 300 is searchedfor content matching the associable element. In the alternative, theauction service 310 may be configured to allow more than one commercialentity to purchase association rights. For example, the content providedby the two commercial entities that made the two highest financialoffers for a particular association right may be associated with thatassociable element by the information management module 400.Alternatively, the information management module 300 may be configuredto provide commercial entities with the ability to purchase theassociation right for a pre-determined fee, either as an option withinthe auction format via the auction service 310 or in lieu of the auctionaltogether.

In still other embodiments, the system 100 allows for efficient,targeted advertising. For example, a digital display located outside aretail electronics store may be connected to the store's inventorymanagement unit 210 and/or may be connected to a storage memorycontaining information related to the store's products and/orpromotions. A commercial user device 400 may be connected to the digitaldisplay and may communicate the store's interests in selling items tothe information management module 300. When a person approaches thedigital display, the person's non-commercial user device 400 and thestore's commercial user device 400 detect the presence of one another,and the information management module 300 indicates to one or bothparties what their matching and complementary interests are. Uponreceiving notification that a nearby person is interested in purchasinga particular model of digital camera, commercial user device 400 maytransmit content to the digital display related to the desired camera.Later, when a subsequent person interested in purchasing a particulartype of stereo approaches the same digital display, content related tothe stereo is displayed. Prior art advertising techniques employed bystores utilize non-specific static displays that advertise one productto the store's entire audience and/or non-specific dynamic displays thatadvertise several products to the store's entire audience on a timed,rotational basis. However, the system 100 allows a store to narrowlytailor its advertisements to very specific, already-interested audiencesin an extremely dynamic way. Rather than bombarding prospectivecustomers with advertisements of no interest to them, entities may focustheir efforts and deliver clear, highly relevant content to potentialcustomers. Using the system 100, therefore, entities may decreaseadvertising expenditures but nonetheless improve sales by utilizingbetter targeted advertising.

In certain embodiments, the system 100 may be configured to allow thecommunication of advertisements not specifically directed to a user'sinterests. For example, advertisements may be allowed for complementarygoods and services. Thus, an advertisement for a camera case may becommunicated to the purchaser of a new camera. Even though the purchasermay have expressed an interest only in purchasing a camera, a cameracase is so commonly bought in conjunction with new camera purchases thatit may still be considered highly relevant content. In an embodiment,the purchaser may provide feedback to the information management module300 relating to the relevance of the additional content. This feedbackmay be used, for example, to curb abuse by retailers in providingpurchasers with irrelevant content that they do not wish to receive. Ifan entity receives sufficiently negative feedback in this regard, theinformation management module 300 may place restrictions on the entity'sinteractions with the system 100 or may altogether suspend the entity'sparticipation. The system 100 may allow purchasers to avoid receivingcontent not directly related to their interests in a variety of otherways as well. For example, the purchaser may receive a prompt at theconclusion of a purchase asking whether they wish to receive contentrelating to complementary goods or services. Alternatively, thepurchaser may communicate to the information management module 300 thatshe does not wish to receive any content besides that which matches herinterests exactly or that she only wishes to receive certain types ofcomplementary content. In other embodiments, the content may relate onlyto what others who purchased the same item also purchased. Thisinformation may originate from the store's records and/or the recordsmaintained by the information management module 300. In an embodiment,the operator of the user device 400 may selectively modify thecommunication settings associated with any of his or her information.For example, if the operator wishes to receive no advertising contentassociated with her interest in photography, then she may dynamicallymodify the communication settings associated with her photographyinterests at any time, allowing her to avoid receiving any advertisingcontent related to photography if desired. In varying embodiments, thissetting may be pre-established by the operator and/or may be modifieddynamically at any time.

In certain embodiments, the system 100 may also be adapted to allowtimely, anonymous feedback regarding entities, products, services,and/or experiences. For example, the purchaser of an item may rate theseller and/or item by communicating with the information managementmodule 300. In an embodiment, requests for feedback are communicated tothe user device 400 by the information management module 300 after aspecified period or substantially immediately following a commercialtransaction and/or a transmission of matched content. In an embodiment,this feedback may allow the information management module 300 toprogressively learn more about the interests and preferences of the userproviding feedback, enhancing the user experience by improving thequality of content provided by the information management module 300.

In certain embodiments, the information that a commercial entity mayprovide to the information management module 300 for purposes ofidentifying matched content may be restricted in a variety of ways. Forexample, the information management module 300 may be configured tolimit the amount and/or type of data that may be provided by acommercial entity. In other embodiments, a commercial entity may includehyperlinks or other pointers among the information it provides to theinformation management module 300.

By providing functionalities that may be used by commercial entities toimprove their marketing, advertising, and buying strategies, theoperator of the system 100 may generate revenue in a variety of ways.For example, the system 100 may be configured to log the buying andselling habits of users who have created an account with the system 100.Evidence of a user's commercial habits may include records of commercialtransactions, of both new and used items and services, completed withher user device 400. Information relevant to commercial entities mayalso include the interests of users, as well as information about theitems that users are currently looking to purchase and what they arewilling to pay for them.

The system 100 may also track the reactions of users to advertisementsand/or promotions presented to them via the user device 400. Theinformation management module 300 further includes real-time informationabout the geographic location of the user device 400, as well asin-depth demographic information for users of the system 100. Harnessingsome or all of this information, a commercial entity could much moreeffectively target and maintain customers, establish brand significanceamong those most receptive to its market segment, allocate inventorymore accurately across geographic locations, and shift valuableadvertising dollars away from non- and minimally-targeted, largelyineffective advertisements toward narrowly-tailored campaigns morelikely to induce sales and consumer adoption. In certain embodiments,non-commercial users may elect not to allow some or all of this data tobe used by commercial entities. In an embodiment, a non-commercial userwho wishes to restrict the transfer of information associated with heraccount to commercial entities may be required to pay a subscription feefor use of the system 100, whereas granting full access may result in nosubscription fee being assessed.

In certain embodiments, a wide variety of data may be offered tocommercial entities by the operator of the system 100. For example, suchdata may include the average time between a user first indicating herdesire to purchase an item and her actual purchase of the item, as wellas the entity from whom she ultimately purchased the item. Suchinformation may be useful in providing a competitive analysis of thecommercial entity's standing in comparison to its competitors, and suchan analysis may be readily made with regard to certain products orservices, certain demographics, and/or certain periods of time. Incertain embodiments, this degree of data processing may be performed bythe information management module 300 or another device associated withthe operator of the system 100, whereas in other embodiments, raw datamay be provided to the commercial entity itself or to a third party firmcapable of interpreting raw consumer information into, for example,recommended strategies for the relevant commercial entity. In certainembodiments, commercial entities may also obtain information regardinghow and/or when users of the system 100 make purchases. For example, ifmany users tend to utilize their non-commercial user devices 400 to makepurchases with vendors that support such functionality, then acommercial entity may wish to provide that capability to its customersif it has not already. Analogous conclusions may be drawn if users tendto make purchases with credit cards, between Tuesdays and Thursdays, onstore websites, late at night, or through third-party websites such asAmazon.com, for example.

Assuming raw data represents a first level of consumer information andprocessed data represents a second level of consumer information, theinformation management module 300 may provide a third level of consumerinformation in certain embodiments. This third level of information mayconsist of extrapolated consumer data based on information that thesystem 100 learns about its users. For example, the informationmanagement module 300 may be adapted to extrapolate information about auser's family members, based on data obtained about the user over time.For some users, such extrapolated information may be useful in thecontext of activities such as gift purchasing. For example, a femaleuser of the system 100 may make clothing purchases for her family usingher non-commercial user device 400. She may have already providedinformation to the information management module 300 about her ownclothing sizes, but she may not have provided such information about themembers of her family Over time, however, the information managementmodule 300 may detect that the user tends to regularly purchase men'sshirts of a particular size. In fact, the user may make purchases ofthis same general type during the same week for a period of years. Basedon this information, the information management module 300 may deducethat the user makes these annual men's shirt purchases as a gift forsomeone such as the user's husband, father, or son. Once this inferencehas been made, the information management module 300 may anticipate theuser's desire to make such a purchase the following year and, forexample, notify her of men's shirt sales occurring during or before theweek she tends to shop for the gift each year. Additional relevantcontent, such as the opportunity to send an electronic greeting card,may also be provided to the user. Of course, the ability of the system100 to learn about its users may be utilized outside the context of giftpurchasing and may provide valuable information to both commercial andnon-commercial entities.

The operator of the information management module 300 may utilize avariety of fee structures for commercial entities utilizing the system100 and/or the valuable commercial data generated by it. For example, acommercial entity may be charged based on the type of market,demographic, geographic, or other data it wishes to receive. Theoperator may also charge commercial entities a one-time fee forregistering their own commercial user devices 400 with the system 100.Additionally, a commercial entity may be charged based on the amount ofcontent it provides to the information management module 300, or it maybe charged based on the frequency with which its content is identifiedas matched content and transmitted to a user device 400. Alternatively,a commercial entity may be charged a periodic subscription fee thatallows the commercial entity to provide a limited or unlimited amount ofcontent to the information management module 300. A commercial entitymay also be charged based on the number of requests for matched contentthat it communicates to the information management module 300. Theoperator of the information management module 300 may also offer a trialperiod for commercial entities that are new to the system 100.Furthermore, in certain embodiments, a commercial entity may payadditional fees to be listed among relevant but unmatched content thatis provided to a geographically proximate user device 400. In anembodiment, a commercial entity may also be charged a rental or purchaseprice for a commercial user device 400 that is adapted for use with thesystem 100.

In varying embodiments, the commercial user device 400 may be configuredin a variety of ways, providing additional revenue opportunities to theoperator of the system 100. For example, the commercial user device 400may comprise an electronic device already in use by a commercial entity,such as a store's primary computer system, that is configured withsoftware allowing it to interact with the system 100. In thisembodiment, the commercial entity need not obtain additional hardware,and if the commercial entity's existing equipment does not include adevice capable of proximity sensing, such as a Bluetooth receiver, thenproximity determinations may be made by the information managementmodule 300, for example, based on the address of the commercial entity'sstorefront and the GPS coordinates associated with a non-commercial userdevice 400. Thus, the information management module 300 may facilitatethe exchange of matched content even when the commercial user device 400is incapable of sensing the proximity of a nearby non-commercial userdevice 400. Alternatively, the commercial entity may simply upgrade itsexisting equipment with a proximity sensing device in order to detectthe presence of non-commercial user devices 400.

In an alternative embodiment, the commercial user device 400 may just bean electronic locating device, such as a GPS or Bluetooth receiverassociated with a commercial entity. In this embodiment, when anon-commercial user device 400 came within close proximity of thecommercial user device 400, the former may detect the presence of thelatter and an anonymous digital identifier associated with thecommercial user device 400, such as its UUID number. This identifier maythen be communicated to the information management module 300 via thenon-commercial user device 400, and matched content from the commercialentity associated with the unique identifier may then be communicated tothe non-commercial user device 400.

In still other embodiments, the commercial user device 400 may be a keypart of a sophisticated enterprise system. For example, a complexcommercial entity such as a large department store may utilize thecommercial user device 400 in a variety of ways. As illustrated in FIG.2, the department store may configure the commercial user device 200 tocommunicate with the inventory management unit 210. The inventorymanagement unit 210 may be adapted to manage allocation and availabilityof products and/or personnel, and the inventory management unit 210 maybe in communication with a mainframe associated with the store'sheadquarters. Additionally, using some or all of the consumerinformation described above, a store may be able to increase sales andenhance its customers' purchasing experience. For example, a salesassociate at the store may utilize a tablet PC that functions as acommercial user device 400 or is in communication with one. Once anon-commercial user device 400 is detected in close proximity, consumerinformation about its operator may be communicated to the tablet PC viathe information management module 300. Such consumer information mayinclude, for example, the specific items the operator is interested inpurchasing, how long she has been looking to purchase those items, herbuying history at the store or its competitors, whether she is a memberof the store's rewards or credit card program, the brand names sheprefers, her clothing size, whether she has entered the store in thepast month, and/or her income level. With this information about each ofhis prospective customers in close proximity, the sales associate maymore easily determine who is most likely to make a purchase, how best toapproach each customer, and whether they are relatively sophisticatedcustomers with regard to the type of product being sold. Utilizing thesekey pieces of information, the sales associate is more likely to drivesales, up-sell effectively, and provide a more personalized customerservice experience. In an embodiment, the commercial user device 400 maybe adapted to obtain this information in real-time from the informationmanagement module 300.

In certain embodiments, the characterizations described above withregard to the commercial user device 400 may apply equally to thenon-commercial user device 400, and vice-versa. Similarly, thealternative embodiments described herein may apply to the first andsecond user devices 400 of FIG. 1 and to the commercial andnon-commercial user devices 400 of FIG. 2.

Certain embodiments also contemplate the use of the system 100 in thecontext of volunteering and other humanitarian opportunities. Manypeople do not take advantage of such opportunities because they areunaware of any that match their interests, availability, and resources.Moreover, people are often unaware of such opportunities in their localgeographic area but would feel more closely connected, and thus likelyto provide assistance, if such an opportunity was conveniently locatednear them. For example, a busy office worker may walk past a soupkitchen on his way to work everyday, but he may never take theopportunity to volunteer his time at the kitchen because he is unawareof its location or does not know whether his schedule could accommodatesuch an activity. However, using a first user device 400, the soupkitchen may provide the information management module 300 withinformation about volunteering opportunities at the kitchen, such aswhat shifts are available, whether training is required, whethervolunteering may only be done on a recurring basis, and/or whether anyexperience is necessary. Similarly, using a second user device 400, thebusy office worker may provide information management module 300 withinformation such as the types of volunteering opportunities he would beopen to, his volunteering or professional experience, and/or the hoursor days he would be available to volunteer. In an embodiment, the busyoffice worker need not even provide availability information and mayinstead indicate that any time not otherwise occupied on the electroniccalendar associated with the second user device 400 may be consideredavailable. After both parties have provided information about theirinterests, the next time their respective user devices 400 are in closeproximity to one another, one or both may be notified of their commoninterest by the information management module 300. As a result, the busyoffice worker's second user device 400 may receive content indicating,for example, the location of the soup kitchen, a description of theopportunity, and a future period of time during which the soup kitchenneeds volunteers and the office worker is available. By removing thelack of information and streamlining the communication process in a waythat requires minimal effort by either party, the system 100 allowsgeographically proximate parties to see how their interests align,without necessitating any direct communication between the partiesthemselves.

In addition, the alternative embodiments described above with regard toFIG. 1 are also applicable to the anonymous digital identificationsystem 100 illustrated in FIG. 2.

FIG. 3 illustrates a block diagram of the information management module300 of FIG. 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Theinformation management module 300 includes a central database 320, adata processor 330, an internal database 340, an account administrator350, and a user interface 360. The information management module 300also includes the communication network 150 of FIG. 1. In varyingembodiments, the internal database 340 may or may not be integratedwithin the user device 400.

The communication network 150, the central database 320, the dataprocessor 330, and the internal database 340 are all in bidirectionalcommunication with one another. Additionally, the account administrator350 is in bidirectional communication with the central database 320, theinternal database 340, and the user interface 360.

In operation, a new user of the system 100 creates an account with theinformation management module 300 via the user interface 360. The userinterface 360 may include, for example, a keyboard, a display screen, atouch screen, a trackball, a microphone, a speaker, a trackwheel, and/oranother device adapted for data manipulation, display, transmission,and/or selection. In certain embodiments, the creation of an accountrequires the installation of software to the user device 400. Thissoftware may be stored, for example, in the internal database 340. Increating its account, the new user provides information to the userinterface 360, and this data is communicated to the accountadministrator 350. For example, the new user may indicate via the userinterface 360 that she would like to create a new account with theinformation management module 300. In response to the request, theaccount administrator 350 may provide the user interface 360 a formcontaining a series of fields for the new user to complete in order toestablish the new account. Such fields may request the new user toprovide information such as a username and password, her actual name,her address, her phone number, the names of her friends with existingaccounts, her interests, the items and/or services she is currentlylooking for, her bank and/or credit card information, her job title anddescription, and/or an image to be associated with the new user. Wherethe new user is a commercial entity, relevant information may include,for example, advertising content, promotional information, inventoryand/or availability information, and product and/or servicedescriptions. Additionally, the new user may be prompted to provide aunique identifier associated with a device the new user wishes to use inconjunction with the system 100. This unique identifier may include, forexample, a UUID or IMEI number, as described above with regard toFIG. 1. Additionally, the new user may be prompted to provide a securityquestion and answer and/or a voice sample, fingerprint scan, or someother biometric identifier that may be used for verification purposes.

Once the new user has submitted this information via the user interface360, the new account record is transmitted to the account administrator350. The new account record is then stored by the account administrator350 to the internal database 340. In certain embodiments, prior tocreating a new account record, the account administrator 350 may searchthe central database 320 and/or the internal database 340 to ensure thatthe new user does not already have an account or has not chosen ausername that conflicts with one already in use. The new account recordmay be stored from the internal database 340 to the central database320. In alternative embodiments, a new account record may be transmitteddirectly to the central database 320. Additionally, if a user haspreviously created an account and would like to update the associatedaccount record, the user may indicate this via the user interface 360.After the user has provided sufficient identifying information to locatethe associated account record, the account administrator 350 may searchthe central database 320 and/or the internal database 340 in order tolocate the user's account record. Once the record has been identified,it may be accessed from the central database 320 and/or the internaldatabase 340 by the account administrator 350 and may be modified viathe user interface 360.

In certain embodiments, the process of establishing a new account may beperformed using the user device 400 intended for eventual use with thesystem 100. Alternatively, a new account may be established using adifferent device capable of communicating with the informationmanagement module 300. As a result, the user interface 360 may be aninterface associated with the user device 400 intended for eventual usewith the system 100 or a different interface. For example, a user mayintend for her mobile phone to be used with the system 100 for purposesof identifying matching users and content. However, she may create heraccount with the system 100 by using the personal computer in her homethat is adapted to communicate with the account administrator 350 viathe Internet. In certain embodiments, the account creation process maybe adapted to allow a new user to install the software simultaneously tomultiple user devices 400. For example, the new user may wish to utilizeboth her laptop computer and her mobile phone with the system 100.Additionally, in embodiments where a user is associated with multipleuser devices 400, the system 100 may be configured to allowsynchronization between all user devices 400 associated with the user.Such synchronization may allow a user to modify, for example, herinterests using her mobile phone and nonetheless provide updatedinformation from her laptop computer without requiring independentupdating of the laptop.

Additionally, the information management module 300 may be configured toassist a new user in creating his account. For example, some or allcontent may be suggested by the information management module 300, as inthe form of a series of checklists and/or pull-down menus. Thus, a newuser may supply his undergraduate school to the account administrator350 via the user interface 360 by using pull-down menus. Using a firstpull-down menu relating to the state in which the institution islocated, he may select “Illinois.” Using a second pull-down menu thathas been populated by the information management module 300 to containonly undergraduate schools in the state of Illinois, he may select“University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.” Similarly, in order toprovide information about his hobbies, the user interface 360 maydisplay a checklist of common hobbies and a field for the new user towrite in additional hobbies not listed. As a result, the account recordassociated with the new user may be coded more accurately by avoidingmisspellings and other inconsistencies, and the account setup processmay be streamlined for the new user.

As described above with regard to FIGS. 1 and 2, the informationmanagement module 300 is adapted to identify data associated with oneuser's account record that matches and/or complements data associatedwith another user's account record. For example, when two user devices400 are in close proximity to one another, one or both devices maytransmit a request match resource (RMR) to the data processor 330 viathe communication network 150. The RMR may include information such asthe location of each device and/or one or more unique identifiersassociated with the devices, such as the IMEI and/or UUID numberassociated with each device. Using the information provided by the RMR,the data processor 330 may search the central database 320 and/or theinternal database 340 to identify the account record associated witheach user or user device 400. The data processor 330 may also search theassociated account records for information in each that matches and/orcomplements one another. In certain embodiments, the data processor 330may be electrically connected to the central database 320 and/or theinternal database 340 so that data transfer may be performed directlybetween these elements. Alternatively, data transfer between the dataprocessor 330, the central database 320, and/or the internal database340 may be performed via the communication network 150.

In certain embodiments, the matching data identified by the dataprocessor 330 may be transmitted from the central database 320 to theinternal database 340. The matching data may then be transmitted fromthe internal database 340 to one or both user devices 400 via thecommunication network 150. In an embodiment, the matching data may bemodified and/or additional content may be added prior to the matchingdata being data being transmitted to the user devices 400 via thecommunication network 150. For example, the matching data may becombined with a descriptive message about the data, such as “There is anearby user who shares your interest in ______.” This additional contentmay be added, for example, by the data processor 330 to the matchingdata stored in the internal database 340. In an alternative embodiment,the internal database 340 and the central database 320 may consist of asingle database.

In certain embodiments, the information provided by a user to theaccount administrator 350 may require the submission of confidentialinformation. For example, the user may add the username and passwordassociated with her profile from an existing online social network,which may assist in populating other relevant data fields such asinterests, job history, and schools attended. Examples of such onlinesocial networks may include Facebook, MySpace, Friendster, Xanga, andBebo. Such online social networks may also include online datingservices, such as Match.com and eHarmony.com. Other confidentialinformation that may be provided may relate to the user's finances, suchas bank account information, credit card numbers, PayPal accountinformation, and investment portfolios. By providing the informationmanagement module 300 with certain forms of confidential information,the user may be able to provide enhanced content to other users and/orutilize additional functions of the system 100. For example, a user ofthe system 100 who is interested in meeting another user for purposes ofdating may provide the username and password associated with hisMatch.com account. As a result, some or all of his profile may beprovided by the information management module 300 to another user who isinterested in meeting someone with characteristics or interests matchingthose of the first user. In addition to providing additional contentthat may allow for a more thorough assessment of potentialcompatibility, the availability of the first user's profile in theinformation management module 300 may provide additional fields to besearched, increasing the chances for a match between users. In thecommercial context, a user may provide her credit card accountinformation to the information management module 300. By doing so, theuser may be able to easily purchase an item that is identified by thesystem 100 as matching the user's interests. In an embodiment, the usermay be prompted by the information management module 300 as to whethershe would like to purchase the item. If so, the user may indicateaffirmatively and the purchase may be made immediately, potentially withonly a single click or other selection of data.

To maintain the privacy of confidential information, the system 100 maybe configured in a variety of ways. For example, the user may berequired to authenticate her identity for certain types of commercial ornon-commercial transactions. For example, the system 100 may beconfigured, potentially by the user herself, to require that the userauthenticate her identity before purchasing an item with a credit cardassociated with the user's account. In certain embodiments, suchauthentication may occur, for example, through verification of apassword, a security question, an email confirmation, a fingerprintscan, a facial recognition, a retinal scan, and/or a vocal recognition.In an embodiment, the user may customize the level of requiredauthentication, which authentication techniques will be required, and/orwhich activities will require authentication. In other embodiments, theoperator of the system 100 may determine these settings. Additionally,the user may establish access levels for varying types of information inher account record. For example, she may set her mobile phone number tobe accessible only to devices associated with individuals she hasdesignated as friends within the system 100. In addition, the operatorof the user device 400 may be prompted by the information managementmodule 300 to confirm whether and what content to transmit in responseto certain types of information requests originating from other userdevices 400.

The information management module 300 also may be adapted to includeadditional security and user management features. For example, theinformation management module 300 may facilitate the collection andprocessing of feedback regarding topics such as the relevance ofprovided content and the improper use of the system 100 by other users.Based on user feedback, the operator of the information managementmodule 300 may modify its data matching parameters and/or restrict theactivities of delinquent users. In certain embodiments, such changes maybe configured to take place automatically upon the occurrence of anevent or the receipt of certain data. Moreover, the informationmanagement module 300 may require a waiting period for certain types ofchanges in a user's account record to take place. Such a feature may,for example, help to limit spontaneous targeting of individuals forpurposes of harassment or other improper conduct. In an embodiment, auser may block all or some types of matched content associated withanother user by communicating this intention to the informationmanagement module 300 via the user device 400.

Additionally, information may be organized within the informationmanagement module 300 in a variety of ways. For example, the centraldatabase 320 may be adapted to periodically or continually establishpiles and subpiles of user information. A pile may include the accountrecords or pointers thereto of all users of the system 100 that havecommunicated a particular interest to the information management module300. For example, a pile may include the account records of all usersinterested in skateboarding. Similarly, another pile may include theaccount records of all users currently looking to purchase a used car.Each pile may consist of a number of subpiles, each of which isassociated with a specific geographic area. For example, theskateboarding pile may include three subpiles, each containing theaccount records or pointers thereto of two users from the group A-F. Thefirst subpile may include the account records of A and B, where A and Bare both interested in skateboarding and currently located in geographicarea 1. The second subpile may include the account records of C and D,who are both interested in skateboarding and currently located ingeographic area 2. The third subpile may include the account records ofE and F, each of whom is interested in skateboarding and currentlylocated in geographic area 3. By regularly organizing information intopiles based on interest and subpiles based on geographic area, datastored in the central database 320 may be accessed and matched moreefficiently than would be possible using a different data structure. Inalternative embodiments, it may be beneficial to organize piles based ongeographic area and subpiles based on interests. In certain embodiments,the information management module 300 may be adapted to automaticallymodify the data structure of the central database 320 and/or theinternal database 340 according to benchmarks, rules, or otherpre-established conditions. In other embodiments, the operator of theinformation management module 300 may selectively alter one or more datastructures associated with the information management module 300.

In certain embodiments, the information management module 300 mayprovide content to the user device 400 besides the matched contentidentified by a RMR-based search of the central database 320. Forexample, the central database 320 may be adapted to include general datathat may be commonly requested by users, such as current news,hyperlinks, ringtones, and/or video files. Despite not being matchedcontent per se, pieces of general content may be provided to the userdevice 400 in cases where predetermined rules implemented by the dataprocessor 320 determine that the content is likely to be relevant to theuser. In varying embodiments, such general content may be selectivelyaccessed by the operator of the user device 400, always provided by theinformation management module 300, or provided only upon the occurrenceof a specified event, such as a failure by the information managementmodule 300 to identify matched content. Additionally, the informationmanagement module 300 may provide assistance in locating an identifieduser device 400 associated with matched content. For example, theinformation management module 300 may provide turn-by-turn directionsfor locating the matched content and/or the user device 400 associatedwith the matched content. Similarly, a map may be provided thatidentifies landmarks, streets, user devices 400, and/or other items ofinterest. In an embodiment, the information management module 300 mayprovide hyperlinks to matched content in addition to or instead ofproviding some or all of the matched content itself. Moreover, theinformation management module 300 may provide a percent match figurequantifying the relevance of the matched content to the contentrequested, which may be determined by the data processor based onpre-determined criteria. In varying embodiments, the rules fordetermining the type of content to transmit from the informationmanagement module 300 to the user device 400 may be established andsubsequently modified by the operator of the information managementmodule 300 and/or the operator of the user device 400.

In certain embodiments, the information management module 300 may beconfigured to facilitate intelligent discovery of user devices 400 andmatched content. For example, searches for nearby user devices 400 maybe initiated by the information management module 300 by communicatingwith the user device 400. In other embodiments, such searches may beinitiated at the direction of the user, upon the occurrence of apre-established event, or upon the passage of a certain period of time.Moreover, searches for proximate user devices 400 may be initiated basedupon a correlation in geographic data associated with each user device400 that is detected by the information management module 300. Forexample, upon two user devices 400 in close proximity communicatingtheir geographic data to the information management module 300, a searchof the central database 320 for matched content may be initiatedautomatically. By providing matched content and/or full account recordsof proximate user devices 400 to the internal database 340automatically, subsequent user-initiated searches may be expeditedbecause the content to be searched is loaded locally to the user device400.

In certain embodiments, the information management module 300 may beadapted to function differently with regard to user devices 400 that arecurrently located in areas particularly crowded with user devices 400connected to the system 100. For example, a user device 400 located at alarge concert at which thousands of other user devices 400 are presentmay present challenges to the user device 400 and/or the informationmanagement module 300. With so many user devices 400 in such closeproximity, the information management module 300 may become overwhelmedwith attempting to identify matched content for users, increasing thetime needed to identify matched content. Moreover, users may beoverwhelmed by the amount of matched content being received in such ashort period of time, potentially causing them to disregard or overlookpotentially valuable matched content. In situations where theinformation management module 300 determines the concentration of userdevices 400 to be too great, it may narrow the bounds of proximity inorder to provide users with matched content associated with user devices400 located very close to them. Similarly, the delivery of matchedcontent may be limited in number, such that, for example, theinformation management module 300 returns matched content relating tothe first ten user devices 400 identified upon entering the highlyconcentrated area. Alternatively, the identification and delivery ofmatched content may be prioritized by the user and/or the informationmanagement module 300 in one or more ways. For example, if a user hasindicated that she is more interested in finding a job in softwaredevelopment than she is in meeting others who share her favorite movie,the information management module 300 may provide matched contentrelated only to job opportunities. A user may establish or update thesepreferences during the initial account setup process or at any timethereafter. In certain embodiments, the information management module300 may automatically prioritize matched content based on rules that maybe, for example, pre-programmed by the operator of the informationmanagement module 300 and/or based upon the average prioritizationpreferences across the system 100 or some subset thereof.

In addition, the alternative embodiments described above with regard toFIGS. 1 and 2 are also applicable to the information management module300 illustrated in FIG. 3.

FIG. 4 illustrates a block diagram of the user device 400 of FIG. 1according to an embodiment of the present invention. The user device 400includes a data input 410, a processor 420, a data selector 430, adisplay 440, a communication module 450, an internal database 340, and apower source 470.

The data input 410 is in bidirectional communication with the processor420 and provides data to the power source 470. The processor 420 also isin bidirectional communication with the display 440, the communicationmodule 450, the power source 470, and the internal database 340. Thepower source 470 is also in electrical communication with thecommunication module 450. The data selector 430 is in electricalcommunication with the processor 420.

In operation, data relating to a user and/or matched content is receivedat the data input 410 from a computer or database containing suchinformation, such as the central database 320 of FIG. 3. Thetransmission of content from the information management module 300 ofFIG. 3 to the data input 410 may be facilitated by the communicationmodule 450. The communication module 450 may utilize wirelesstechnologies such as GSM, CDMA, WiFi, GPS, Bluetooth, wireless localarea networks (WLAN), wireless USB, and/or infrared. Additionally,proprietary wireless standards utilizing audible, optical, and/or radiotechnologies may be used. In still other embodiments, the communicationmodule 450 may be configured for direct electrical connection through,for example, USB, Ethernet, optical cable, and/or FireWire connections.

Once received at the data input 410, some or all of the data is providedto the processor 420, which may store the received data to the internaldatabase 340. When the user device 400 is configured to display matchedcontent, the processor 420 then provides some or all of the contentstored in the internal database 340 to the display 440 for viewing bythe user. If multiple pieces of matched content are stored in theinternal database 340, the user may scroll through or selectivelydisplay pieces of content using the data selector 430. In certainembodiments, the data selector 430 may include a keyboard, a touchscreen, a trackball, a microphone, one or more action buttons, a knob,one or more switches, a trackwheel, and/or another device or actuatoradapted for data manipulation and/or selection. In certain embodiments,the display 440 may display data using display technologies such asblack-and-white liquid crystal display (LCD), color LCD, digital lightprocessing (DLP), plasma, or light-emitting diodes (LED).

To power each of these operations, the user device 400 draws power fromthe power source 470. In an embodiment, the power source 470 is aninternal rechargeable battery that is recharged when the user device 400is in electrical communication with an electrical outlet, computer, orother source of electrical power. For example, power may be transmittedto the power source 470 by a computer through the data input 410. Incertain embodiments, the power source 470 may be removed and replaced byan operator of the user device 400. In order to minimize powerconsumption while still identifying relevant matched content, the userdevice 400 may be configured in accordance with one or more powermanagement schemes. For example, the user device 400 may be adapted toinclude an off mode, in which the user device 400 ceases some or allinteractions with the information management module 400. Additionally,the user device 400 may include a silent mode, in which no notificationsor matched content are communicated to the user until the user device400 is removed from silent mode. In an embodiment, the power source 470may also be configured to power off the user device 400 or to stopsearching for other users and matched content after a specified periodof time spent in silent mode.

In certain embodiments, the internal database 340 may be physicallyintegrated within the user device 460. In other embodiments, theinternal database 340 may be selectively removed by the operator of theuser device 400. In these embodiments, the internal database 340 mayinclude, for example, a Secure Digital (SD) Card, a Memory Stick (MS), aSmartMedia (SM) device, a Multimedia Card (MMC), a USB storage medium, aCompactFlash (CF) device, or some other portable memory technology.

As described above with regard to FIG. 3, interaction with theinformation management module 300 may require the installation ofsoftware to the user device 400. Such software may be received at thedata input 410 and subsequently stored to the internal database 340 bythe processor 420. In certain embodiments, this software may direct thedata communication and processing between user devices 400. Examplefunctionalities handled by software may include querying the informationmanagement module 300 for matched content, querying unique identifierssuch as IMEI or UUID numbers associated with other user devices 400,providing notifications to operators of the user devices 400, monitoringenvironmental conditions such as average ambient noise, managing powerconsumption, encrypting sensitive data, reporting data, downloadinginformation, interacting with other user devices 400, facilitatingcommercial transactions, and processing matched content and otherinformation. Notifications provided by the user device 400 may includeauditory and/or visual signals or indicators. Other notifications may bepresented in the form of a vibration of the user device 400, aneurological impulse, and/or a confirmation of an action taken. Forexample, where there is an established but unsettled debt between theoperators of two user devices 400, a notification may include a messageindicating that the debt has been settled by transferring funds from afinancial account associated with one user to an account associated withthe other user. In certain embodiments, the software adapted for usewith the system 100 may run continuously in the background of theoperating system associated with the user device 400. Alternatively,some or all the software may be launched upon activation by the operatorof the user device 400 and/or the information management module 300.

Additionally, the user device 400 may be adapted to utilize thecommunication module 450 to obtain software updates from the informationmanagement module 300 via the data input 410. Updates may be obtainedand installed, for example, selectively by the user and/or automaticallyaccording to an established schedule or the occurrence of a specifiedevent.

In certain embodiments, the user device 400 may not be designedspecifically for use with the anonymous digital identification system100. For example, the user device 400 may be a mobile phone, asmartphone, a laptop, or some other electronic communication device.Alternatively, the user device 400 may be an electronic communicationdevice specifically designed for use with the system 100. In theseembodiments, the user device 400 may offer enhanced functionality and/orfeatures, in comparison to a user device 400 not specifically designedfor use with the system 100. For example, a specially-designed userdevice 400 may include all available location detection technologies inorder to fully utilize the multi-modal nature of the system 100. Byinteracting with the system 100 with a user device 400 having Bluetooth,GPS, audio, radio, optical, cellular, WiFi, wireless USB, and infraredcapabilities, the operator of the user device 400 increases herlikelihood for identifying proximate users sharing her interests and/orobjectives. In order to prevent excessive power consumption, some or allof these functionalities may be prioritized and/or inactive untilspecifically selected by the operator of the user device 400.

In addition, the alternative embodiments described above with regard toFIGS. 1-3 are also applicable to the user device 400 illustrated in FIG.4.

FIG. 5 illustrates a flow chart of a process 500 for providing matchedcontent to two user devices 400 according to an embodiment of thepresent invention. At step 501, a first entity installs softwareassociated with the anonymous identification system 100 of FIG. 1 to afirst user device 400. Next, at step 502, the first entity creates anaccount record with the account administrator 350 of FIG. 3. At step503, the first entity's account record is stored to an internal database340 associated with the first user device 400. At step 504, the firstentity's account record, or a copy thereof, is transmitted from theinternal database 340 to a central database 320 associated with theinformation management module 300 of FIG. 3. Similarly, at step 511, asecond entity installs software associated with the anonymousidentification system 100 to a second user device 400. Next, at step512, the second entity creates an account record with the accountadministrator 350. At step 513, the second entity's account record isstored to an internal database 340 associated with the second userdevice 400. At step 514, the second entity's account record, or a copythereof, is transmitted from the internal database 340 to the centraldatabase 320. Each of the first and second account records may include,for example, information regarding the entity's interests, the productsand services the entity wishes to buy or sell, the entity's personaland/or professional background, one or more images, the entity'sgeographic location, advertising or promotional material, hyperlinks tolocations of data accessible by the Internet or a local network, and/orany other content that may be associated with an entity.

At step 520, the user device 400 associated with the first entitydetects the presence of the user device 400 associated with the secondentity. Such detection may be facilitated by one or more of the locationdetection technologies described above with regard to FIGS. 1-4. Atdecision point 530, the central database 320 is searched for matchedcontent between the account records of the first and second entities.Such matched content may include, for example, a shared interest in aparticular activity and/or a complementary interest in buying/selling aparticular product. If, at decision point 530, matched content is found,then the matched content is provided to each user device 400 at step540. In certain embodiments, the information provided may also includethe full account record of the entity associated with matched content,or some portion thereof. If, at decision point 530, no matched contentis found, then the information management module 300 may search atdecision point 550 for generally relevant content directed to, forexample, a particular interest of either or both entities. Generallyrelevant content may include, for example, news stories, advertisements,and/or data files. If, at decision point 550, generally relevant contentis found in the central database 320 or, for example, on a particularwebsite, then at step 560, such generally relevant content may beprovided to one or both user devices 400. If, at decision point 550, nogenerally relevant content is found, then at step 570 an indication thatno relevant content is available may be provided to one or both userdevices 400.

In certain embodiments, the steps comprising the process of providingmatched content to two user devices 400 may be combined, separatedand/or reordered in ways that do not affect the overall process. Forexample, step 501 may be unnecessary to perform if the first entity'suser device 400 has already been loaded with the software needed tointeract with the system 100. In still other embodiments, a new user maycomplete her profile online in communication with the informationmanagement module 300 without the use of software installed on the userdevice 400. Similarly, the creation of a new account record may beunnecessary where an entity has already established an account recordand only seeks to modify its existing record. As a further example, incertain embodiments, the internal database 340 may be located within theuser device 400 or associated with software installed therein, while inother embodiments, the internal database 340 may be part of theinformation management module 300 and physically connected to thecentral database 320. In varying embodiments, the step 530 of searchingthe central database 320 for matched content may be initiatedselectively by the user, automatically by the information managementmodule 300, and/or automatically upon the occurrence of a particularevent.

In yet another embodiment, the overall anonymous identification system100 of FIG. 1 may be adapted for interaction with a human-computerinterface for communication that does not require physical motor controlor speech production. Such an interface may include a system forintercepting neurological signals detectable near a user's head and/orneck that may be translated into audible or visible speech viaencryption and/or signal processing. For example, the interface andsignal processing associated with The Audeo, produced by AmbientCorporation, may be utilized in conjunction with the system 100 in orderto provide enhanced functionality. In certain embodiments, such enhancedfunctionality may include the ability for users of the system 100 tocommunicate with one another, with their user devices 400, and with theinformation management module 300 without producing audible speech orutilizing physical motor control. In operation, an electrode or otherdevice capable of conducting neurological signals may be positioned nearor in direct contact with a user's head or neck. The electrodeintercepts neurological signals created by the user that represent theuser's unspoken thoughts. These intercepted signals may be encrypted,processed, and analyzed in order to translate the signals into speech,text, and/or data selection. In such an embodiment, notifications orother content may be provided as a neurological input to a user of thesystem 100. Additionally, in an embodiment, the electrode may beintegrated within or otherwise in communication with the user device400. Embodiments utilizing such a human-computer interface becomeincreasingly useful as user devices 400 continue to shrink in size andmake data entry through keypads, for example, progressively moredifficult.

In an embodiment, the system 100 provides universal translationcapabilities. By utilizing text and/or speech translation software, thesystem 100 may allow two users who speak different languages tocommunicate effectively with one another. Because the system 100facilitates communication among geographically proximate users throughan intermediary, the information management module 300, translationsoftware associated with the system 100 may translate content providedby one user whose native language is Spanish, for example, to digitallycommunicate with a French-speaking user in a seamless way. Suchcapabilities may be particularly useful, for example, to a user of thesystem 100 who is traveling in a foreign country and wishes to asksomeone a question but does not speak their language. Moreover, if theaccount record associated with the traveler's user device 400 includesher native language of Spanish, then she may use the informationmanagement module 300 to identify geographically proximate Spanishspeakers while traveling in France. In effect, the system 100 mayfunction both as an identifier of users who speak particular languagesand as a flexible translator.

By affording the various features described above, the system 100 mayprovide a user with a more personalized form of reality. As describedabove with regard to FIG. 2, the system 100 may be utilized bycommercial entities in order to provide advertising content that isspecifically targeted to individual users. Moreover, in an embodiment, auser device 400 adapted for communication with the informationmanagement module 300 may assist users in interacting with computers.For example, the account record associated with a user device 400 mayinclude the preferences, settings, programs, and/or data filesassociated with a user's desired computing environment. Upon the userdevice 400 becoming geographically proximate to a second user device 400such as a personal computer, the system 100 may facilitate thetransformation of the personal computer into the computing environmentpreferred by the user. Similarly, the user device 400 may be used toauthenticate the user's identity by transmitting authenticatinginformation to the information management module 300 and/or ageographically proximate second user device 400. In another embodiment,the music heard and/or other media received by a user of the system 100may be customized to her interests. For example, a car's features mayinclude a user device 400 that is connected to the car's stereo system.The car's user device 400 may be equipped with, for example, Bluetoothfunctionality. When a user device 400 associated with a first drivercomes into geographic proximity with the car's user device 400, themusic interests of the first driver are received by the car's userdevice 400, and the stereo is adjusted accordingly to match the firstdriver's interests. After the first driver exits the vehicle and asecond driver having different music interests enters, the user device400 associated with the second driver and/or the information managementmodule 300 transmits information related to the second driver's musicinterests to the car's user device. As a result, the car's stereo systemis readjusted to accommodate the second driver's music interests.

As described herein, embodiments of the present invention offer valuablesolutions to the problems associated with traditional communicationsystems and techniques. Individuals and commercial entities alike missopportunities for valuable communication every day. Many people foregoopportunities to interact with people who share their interests or canprovide them with products, services, or information they want, simplybecause they are unaware of these connections. In terms of commerce,people are bombarded with blanketed and minimally targeted advertisingthat is often largely ineffectual in terms of prompting commercialtransactions. Embodiments of the present invention allow commercial andnon-commercial entities to identify opportunities for valuablecommunication and provide information as to shared and complementaryinterests. As a result, embodiments of the present invention offerunparalleled opportunity and efficiency to both individuals andcommercial entities.

While particular elements, embodiments, and applications of the presentinvention have been shown and described, it is understood that theinvention is not limited thereto because modifications may be made bythose skilled in the art, particularly in light of the foregoingteaching. It is therefore contemplated by the appended claims to coversuch modifications and incorporate those features which come within thespirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for providing content, the methodincluding: detecting the presence of a first wireless communicationdevice utilizing a second communication device, said first wirelesscommunication device associated with a first set of content based atleast in part on a shared or complementary interest associated with saidfirst wireless communication device; and in response to a determinationthat said first wireless communication device and said secondcommunication device are geographically proximate to one another basedon location detection capabilities of said first wireless communicationdevice or said second communication device, providing content to saidfirst wireless communication device.
 2. The method of claim 1, whereinsaid first wireless communication device is associated with a uniqueidentifier.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein said content is providedto said first wireless communication device via direct communicationwith said second communication device, wherein said direct communicationincludes at least one of electrical communication and wirelesscommunication.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein said first set ofcontent includes information associated with and provided by said userof said first wireless communication device.
 5. The method of claim 4,wherein said information provided by said user of said first wirelesscommunication device comprises an interest in said content.
 6. Themethod of claim 1, wherein said content is based at least in part on arequest match resource operation performed in response to adetermination that said first wireless communication device and saidsecond communication device are geographically proximate to one another.7. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of said first set ofcontent and said content is communicated via a human-computer interface.8. The method of claim 1, wherein said first set of content is relatedto whether the user of the first wireless communication device is amember of a rewards or credit card program of a store to which thesecond communication device is associated.
 9. The method of claim 1,wherein a user of said first wireless communication device and a user ofsaid second communication device are anonymous to one another.
 10. Themethod of claim 1, comprising allowing open communication between saidfirst wireless communication device and said second communicationdevice, wherein said open communication selectively relates to saidcontent, as determined by said user of said first wireless communicationdevice.
 11. The method of claim 1, comprising performing a paymenttransaction after providing said content to said first wirelesscommunication device.
 12. The method of claim 1, wherein said interestis a transaction.
 13. The method of claim 1, comprising authenticatingsaid user with a personal computer geographically proximate to saiduser.
 14. A method for facilitating commercial transactions, the methodcomprising: in an information management module that is operable tocommunicate with a wireless communication device: identifying consumerinformation associated with said wireless communication device, whereinsaid consumer information is based at least in part on a shared orcomplementary interest associated with said first wireless communicationdevice; determining whether geographic proximity exists between saidwireless communication device and said information management modulebased on location detection capabilities of said wireless communicationdevice and said information management module; identifying whethershared or complementary information exists associated with said consumerinformation in response to a determination that geographic proximityexists between said wireless communication device and said informationmanagement module; and providing content to said wireless communicationdevice.
 15. The method of claim 14, wherein said consumer information isassociated with a commercial entity to which the information managementmodule is associated, wherein said consumer information includes atleast one of an advertisement, description, image, audio, price,quantity, offer for sale, review, comparison, and location associatedwith content associated with said commercial entity.
 16. The method ofclaim 14, comprising processing said consumer information, wherein saidprocessing includes at least one of compiling, analyzing, and drawingconclusions from said consumer information, and wherein said consumerinformation includes at least one of raw data, processed data, andextrapolated consumer data.
 17. The method of claim 14, comprisinganalyzing availability of at least one of a product and a service,wherein said analysis is performed by an inventory management unitassociated with said commercial entity.
 18. The method of claim 14,comprising allowing a commercial transaction between said wirelesscommunication device and said information management module, whereinsaid commercial transaction includes a transfer of at least one of aproduct, a service, currency, and feedback.
 19. The method of claim 14,comprising performing a payment transaction after providing said contentto said wireless communication device.
 20. The method of claim 14,wherein said interest is a transaction.
 21. The method of claim 14,comprising authenticating said user with a personal computergeographically proximate to said user.
 22. A system for providingcontent, the system comprising: a processor that is operable todetermine a geographic location associated with a wireless communicationdevice and whether it is geographically proximate to said processor; andan information management module that is operable to: communicate with afirst wireless communication device, wherein said first wirelesscommunication device is associated with a first set of content based atleast in part on a shared or complementary interest in a transactionassociated with said first wireless communication device; providecontent to said first wireless communication device in response to adetermination by said processor that said first wireless communicationdevice is geographically proximate to the processor based on locationdetection capabilities of said first wireless communication device orsaid processor.
 23. The system of claim 22, wherein said processor andsaid information management module are electrically integrated with oneanother.
 24. The system of claim 22, wherein said first set of contentis related to whether the user of the first wireless communicationdevice is a member of a rewards or credit card program of a store inwhich the information management module is located.